Metal oxide catalysts with a laser induced hydrophobic characteristic

Abstract

A process for treating metal oxide catalysts includes activating one or more lasers to produce laser light. The process also includes exposing at least a portion of the metal oxide catalyst to the laser light to increase hydrophobicity of the metal oxide catalyst. The metal oxide catalyst may include a plurality of metal oxide particles or a metal oxide film.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for treating metal oxide catalysts, the process comprising:
 activating one or more lasers to produce laser light; 
 exposing at least a portion of the metal oxide catalyst to the laser light to increase the hydrophobicity of the metal oxide catalyst by forming features that are too small to be wetted by water based on a contact angle of water with the metal oxide catalyst, wherein exposing at least a portion of the metal oxide catalyst comprises one or more of (a)-(c):
 (a) gravity feeding the metal oxide catalyst through the laser light one or more times; 
 (b) placing the metal oxide catalyst on a carrier and passing the metal oxide catalyst on the carrier at least one time through one or more beams produced by the one or more lasers; or 
 (c) aerosolizing the metal oxide catalyst and spraying the metal oxide catalyst through the laser light one or more times; and 
 
 placing the metal oxide catalyst in a reaction vessel. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide catalyst comprises a plurality of particles. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 2 , further comprising vibrating the carrier to change positions of the particles on the carrier so that the laser light contacts multiple portions of the particles. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claim 2 , further comprising depositing the particles on a secondary structure. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide catalyst comprises a film coupled to a substrate. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lasers include a femtosecond pulse laser. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more lasers produce laser light having about 65 femtosecond (fs) pulses of light at a wavelength of about 800 nanometers (nm), a rate of approximately 1 kilohertz (kHz), and an energy of about 4 to 10 joules per square centimeter (J/cm 2 ). 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 1 , further comprising depositing the particles on a secondary structure. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide catalyst comprises a film coupled to a substrate. 
     
     
       10. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lasers include a femtosecond pulse laser. 
     
     
       11. The process of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more lasers produce laser light having about 65 femtosecond (fs) pulses of light at a wavelength of about 800 nanometers (nm), a rate of approximately 1 kilohertz (kHz), and an energy of about 4 to 10 joules per square centimeter (J/cm 2 ). 
     
     
       12. The process of  claim 1 , further comprising rastering the one or more lasers across the metal oxide catalyst. 
     
     
       13. The process of  claim 12 , wherein the rastering the one or more lasers across the metal oxide catalyst comprises using one or more mirrors, movement of the one or more lasers, movement of the metal oxide catalyst, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       14. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide catalyst is formed by oxidation of a metal substrate, powder sintering, vapor deposition, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
       15. A process for treating metal oxide catalysts, the process comprising:
 activating one or more lasers to produce laser light; and 
 exposing at least a portion of the metal oxide catalyst to the laser light to increase the hydrophobicity of the metal oxide catalyst by forming features that are too small to be wetted by water based on a contact angle of water with the metal oxide catalyst, wherein the metal oxide catalyst comprises a plurality of particles, and wherein exposing the metal oxide catalyst to the laser light comprises one or more of (a)-(c):
 (a) gravity feeding the particles through the laser light one or more times; 
 (b) placing the particles on a carrier and passing the particles on the carrier at least one time through one or more beams produced by the one or more lasers; or 
 (c) aerosolizing the particles and spraying the particles through the laser light one or more times; and 
 
 placing the particles in a reaction vessel. 
 
     
     
       16. The process of  claim 15 , further comprising vibrating the carrier to change positions of the particles on the carrier so that the laser light contacts multiple portions of the particles. 
     
     
       17. The process of  claim 15 , further comprising rastering the one or more lasers across the particles. 
     
     
       18. The process of  claim 17 , wherein the rastering the one or more lasers across the metal oxide catalyst comprises using one or more mirrors, movement of the one or more lasers, movement of the metal oxide catalyst, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
       19. The process of  claim 15 , wherein the metal oxide catalyst is formed by oxidation of a metal substrate, powder sintering, vapor deposition, or combinations thereof.